deli_conker
Aquarium Advice Addict
No offense in return, but we have viral epidemics because most people see a file called "britney_spears_naked.mpeg.exe" and double click it. Or they say, "I can get all sorts of free stuff from this program called gnutella/kazaa/limewire/etc." Or they open email (that's in html format with a nice little script inside) from somebody they don't know and/or didn't solicit. Or they go to a java script enriched site while having administrator/power user permissions and get all sorts of nice "plug-ins" installed without knowing it.william said:And, no offense, but thats why we have massive viral epidemics in windows systems like all the worms that have made news recently. Windows updates provides updates that protect you from the exploits the virus/worm uses.
Because people don't patch/patch as often as they should.
In effect, most people ASK for a virus (ignorance isn't an excuse anymore).
Security is often not implemented because it is costly. The big nasty worms affect servers that an administrator should be taking care of with proper knowledge of security, not the latest magic patch that who know's what could do to a production machine. Remember, most patches come out AFTER the exploit is well known about. There's still a window of opportunity where systems are vulnerable (even with automatic updates).
No. The best protection is abstinence. You don't want a virus? Then don't connect to an external network. You take a chance by doing so. Use a public PC at the library for your web research and email.So, the best protection, is to let Windows update automaticly so it can grab patches soon as their ready.
If something comes out that will affect my machine, I patch it. Why would I want my pc to determine what should be installed on it? I suppose most people simply forget to update or get lazy about it and they need automation. I don't. And I'm selective about what gets installed. Like I said earlier, I run a very clean operating system. The only program running in the background aside from what is needed to run the OS is a firewall. I don't duct tape 30+ hotfixes to the OS just because they exist.
In my opinion, the best way to avoid a virus is by learning how to write one. I know that isn't practical for most people to do, but getting to that point means you have enough of an understanding of how software interacts with the OS to "know better" when it comes to downloading who-knows-what from who-knows-where.
I'm thinking about writing a firewall. I still have a lot to learn, but I'll feel a lot "safer" knowing what is protecting my machine.